Been a while since my last “What I’m Reading” post! I’ve been reading quite a bit recently. I’m pleased that reading is a part of my evening routine now! :)

I’m just going to share one of the few books that I’ve read over the past weeks, and that is Chanel Perfume by Francoise Aveline. I was actually hunting for Chanel-related books at the library because I’m sort of on a long-term learning quest, and I’d like to read up on Chanel alongside my usual fiction stash. I find it refreshing to switch between fiction and non-fiction books, btw.

I think I read Chanel Perfume at the right time – just before going for my olfactory journey at the Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutique at Marina Bay Sands. I’m trying to find some time to write a blog post about the olfactory journey, and I really need to get started on it soon!

So here we have Chanel Perfume, a relatively thin book which you can probably browse through really quickly at the library without having to actually borrow it. This version has a hard cover.

There are only 13 written pages in the book, detailing how Coco Chanel got started on creating perfumes. As if it wasn’t enough that she revolutionised the way women dressed, she completely changed the world of perfumery, making women smell different.

The legendary perfume, Chanel No. 5 (which also happens to be my favourite perfume – you’ll find out more details in my blog post about the olfactory journey on how even my nose picked out Chanel No. 5 to be the fragrance for me) created in 1921 remains a bestseller even today.

In the 1920s, perfumes were usually mono-floral, which means that a fragrance in those days contained only one floral note, and not a blend of several notes. A perfume may smell like rose, and that’s all there is to it. There’s no layering of notes, no bottom, middle, or top notes to speak of. And they had horribly tacky names, like Virginity and Spellbound.

Of course, Chanel wanted to be different. She wanted a fragrance which best represented the scent of a woman. Not just any woman, but a modern, fashionable, liberated one. She engaged French perfumer Ernest Beaux for this seemingly daunting task, and he did not disappoint her. He presented Chanel with two sets of numbered vials containing samples of the fragrances he had concocted – Chanel immediately decided on the 5th vial. And that, my friend, became Chanel No. 5.

Chanel No. 5 contains no fewer than eighty ingredients in its composition – a mixture of various notes, including rose and jasmine. I will be writing a review on the Eau de Parfum, which I am currently wearing. The scent is heavenly!

Even the name “Chanel No. 5″ itself is an unusual one for a perfume – she could have named it after something else, something equally tacky to fit in with its competitors, but she chose to name it after a number. Chanel was truly ahead of her time.

The book also talks about the creation of Chanel’s other perfumes, such as Cristalle and Allure, as well as other interesting historical tidbits which will definitely captivate Chanel fragrance enthusiasts. Did you know that when Chanel dined in a posh restaurant in Cannes, she secretly sprayed women who walked past her table with Chanel No. 5, just to see their reactions? :)

After reading the short narrative, feast your eyes on 56 glossy pages of Chanel bottle designs, print advertisements, and other interesting photos related to the creation of Chanel perfumes. I’ll share some here with you! :)

Here’s the No. 5 bottle and carton, created in 1921 by Coco Chanel herself. In those days, perfume bottles were very elaborate. The clean silhouette of the Chanel No. 5 bottle sets it apart from the rest.

The pages below show the changes to the bottle’s design over the years.

The Centifolia or Cabbage rose seen here blooms only once a year for only three weeks. It’s the precious heart of Chanel No. 5.

These GIs queued for hours outside the Chanel boutique in rue Cambon just to bring back bottles of Chanel No. 5 for their wives and girlfriends… how sweet!

This is Ernest Beaux, creator of the legendary No. 5. :)

Btw, if you’re interested in Chanel’s perfumes, you should totally check out my post on The Art of Baudruchage, an event which I attended at the Chanel Fragrance and Beauty Boutique last December. I explained details of the process of sealing a Chanel perfume bottle, but they didn’t allow photography – here are some photos of a bottle being sealed.

Coco Chanel herself as the face of Chanel No. 5′s advertising campaign. Pretty cool eh? :)

The book is an informative read, and I can imagine even the busiest person reading this – it will take you less than 30 minutes to go through the entire book!

Some of the other books that I’ve read recently are Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, and Kissing Christmas Goodbye by M.C. Beaton.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favourite writers – I’ve read almost all the Shopaholic books (except Mini Shopaholic) and her other books as well. She’s writes fab chick-lit! After I read Interview with the Vampire, I just had to watch the show. I’m glad I did, though I prefer the book because lots of details had been eliminated in the film. I’m also really loving the Agatha Raisin series… gives my brain the sort of workout it needs, reading detective novels. I’ve read three Agatha Raisin books so far. Currently, I’m reading another book by M.C. Beaton, it’s from the Hamish Macbeth series. M.C. Beaton is brilliant! They should make movies based on her books. I don’t actually have anyone in mind for Agatha, but I think Blake Lively would make the perfect Toni Gilmour, appearance-wise.

What are you reading at the moment? I’m thinking of reading the Harry Potter books again, just to recap. I’ve forgotten lots of details!

Btw, if you haven’t entered the Benefit Cosmetics b.right! giveaway, you still have some time! It ends on Monday, 30 May 2011. Hurry!

J